What goes on tour, stays on tour!

Our trip to the States had been planned for at least 2 years - and for the other 20 people going it had been planned for 10 years. Back when we first started talking about it we thought it was so far away, and then all of a sudden it was this year. 

Apart from Fiji for my 21st I hadn't been on any other overseas trips, so as you can imagine I was pretty excited.

The main purpose for the trip was to celebrate our aunty's 50th birthday in Las Vegas. And I got the exciting job of helping plan the surprise wedding for our aunty and uncle which was to take place on our aunty's birthday. Apart from the bride and groom, there were only 3 of us that knew about the wedding which was very exciting. I love planning things, whether it be holidays, weekends away or events, so I really enjoyed researching and contacting people in America to organise the wedding.  

We flew to LA on our 5 year anniversary. The dates just happened to fit in so it was definitely a cool way to celebrate. Our first stop was the Hollywood Sign. Standing at the Griffith Observatory and looking out at the Sign was surreal. I've seen the Sign many times on TV and in movies, but to actually be there and see it in person was an incredible feeling.  

We had one night in Santa Monica which we loved. The Santa Monica Pier at night is beautiful and such a fun place to hang out. Scotty did the Santa Monica Marathon and I did the Half Marathon while we were there. It was a very low key event, but great fun to be part of a race in a different country. We spent a few hours at Venice Beach which was such a vibrant place with people everywhere and something different happening wherever you looked. 

We then spent 5 nights in Vegas. What can I say... Vegas was out of this world! Stepping out onto the strip, the heat would hit you, there were flashing lights and people everywhere. People were drinking on the streets and having the time of their lives. It was such an amazing place, with so much to see and do, there just weren't enough hours in the day. We were on the go from first thing in the morning until after midnight every night. There wasn't much time to sleep. And this was for someone that doesn't even drink. We tried to fit as much as we could into the five days, exploring the strip and lots of different casinos, a girls night cruising the strip in a stretch hummer, a fun-filled day and night doing lots of adventure activities, the 50th birthday and surprise wedding and a trip to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. 

Suffice to say by the time we left for 3 nights alone in San Fran, we were ready to slow down the pace a little. San Fran was beautiful and had such an alternative culture with very laid back people. We had a fantastic time exploring the city and some beautiful beaches along the coast. Riding over the Golden Gate Bridge was definitely a highlight - it was another one of those surreal moments. A trip to Alcatraz was a must-do and we learnt a lot about the prison and ex-convicts. We are really looking forward to getting back to San Fran and spending a bit more time there. 

Next stop was San Diego for 4 nights where we met back up with some of our family. San Diego was different again, with a fantastic Maritime Museum and the best zoo I've ever been to. I loved that every city we went to had something new and different to offer. We travelled around all day on a $7 public transport ticket which was awesome and something you couldn't do in Perth, and got a fully guided tour out to Point Loma by one of the local bus drivers. He didn't have to say anything, but because he loved the area he wanted to point out different things to see along the way. We went to our first baseball game which was a very cool American experience. Old Town San Diego is a mini Mexico and had fantastic Mexican restaurants with cheap tacos and margaritas. And Gaslamp Quarter was full of bars and restaurants - a fantastic place to go for a meal and wander around at night. 

From there we flew up to Alaska with our aunty and uncle. This is what Scotty had been waiting for. Two weeks travelling around in an RV with two of our favourite people was a once in a lifetime experience. We saw incredible landscapes and wildlife and got to experience some magnificent snowfalls. They were having a late winter so all the rivers and lakes were frozen solid which was an incredible sight. We travelled as far north as the RV would let us and as far south as we could before hitting the water. Speaking to people that live in Alaska was such a great experience. Hearing about how they survive through minus 40 degree winters and how much the landscape changes from season to season was very interesting. We will definitely be heading back to Alaska to experience a summer and a winter over there. 

After Alaska it was time to start the long journey home. Flying with Virgin was definitely worth the extra money. We had great in-flight food and entertainment and quick stop-overs on the east coast. Although I must admit, it has made me a bit of a snob when it comes to flying now and I don't think I'll go back to budget airlines for long haul flights if I can help it.  

The whole trip was beyond incredible. We saw some amazing places and made everlasting memories with friends and family. We met so many fantastic Americans that taught us a lot about their culture and the way they live. Before going to America I must admit I didn't have the best impression of Americans, but after being there for just one day we saw how incredibly nice and friendly they all are. We would comment every day on the friendliness we'd experienced. I think the reason I had the misconception that Americans were rude is because I had only witnessed them when they were on holidays in Australia, and unfortunately the service and level of hospitality over here is nowhere near as high as in America, which in turn would mean they weren't satisfied with how they were treated and therefore made them seem grumpy all the time. I'll be the first to admit that I came back from America with a much higher standard of what I expected from the hospitality industry than I used to have. Of course the fact that in America they work for tips means it's in their best interest to offer a high standard of service, but it's so much more than that. They love their jobs, they are passionate about what they are doing and they always want to chat and ask about your life to get to know the people they are dealing with. This made our whole trip so much more interesting and enjoyable. 

Overseas travel isn't a passion for everyone, but if it is one of your dreams to see more of the world then I highly recommend doing it. There are so many places to see and so many different people to meet and cultures to immerse yourself in. I believe you can learn so much from travelling about how other people live and the different lifestyles people have. You can take this knowledge and use it to make the best out of your own life. And you can teach other people about different experiences you've had which they can then learn from.